2025 MDDC Awards and Conference

MDDC will hold its annual conference and awards lunch on Friday May 9 from 9 am – 2:30 pm at the Doubletree Annapolis hotel. Join colleagues and industry experts for two sets of panels and discussions on topics of interest, speed networking in our new “Mixing Bowl” session, and the presentation of Best of Show awards during a festive Mexican buffet lunch.

Conference Schedule for Friday, May 9th
More information available as speakers are finalized

Registration 
9:00 am –9:30 am Enjoy networking and coffee before the program begins.

Mixing Bowl
9:30 am – 10:15 am Real life discussions on various subjects in small groups. Including speed mentoring from industry veterans or untangling your toughest problems for discussion.

Training & Discussion tracks—Session 1
10:15 am —11:00 am
Discussions led by industry experts on a variety of topics. Speakers will be added as they are confirmed.

AI Ethics – real world uses in the newsroom
Sean Mussenden, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, UMD and Patrick Brannan, Bridgetower Media
What AI tools are helpful in the newsroom and how to use them ethically as journalists? 

AI-powered strategies for Advertising Sales in 2025
Kevin Berrier, MDDC Ad Services
Through real-world case studies, learn the practical strategies that give news media advertising salespeople the power of a full-service agency at their fingertips to compete for top-10 opportunities.

Cultivating Sources
Julie Scharper, The Baltimore Banner
How do journalists engage with sources who are reluctant to speak on the record?

Understanding Audience 
Sundra Hominik, Associated Press
How do you know what your readers want? And how do you understand what draws in those who aren’t regular readers? 

Training & Discussion tracks—Session 2
11:15 am — noon
Discussions led by industry experts on a variety of topics. Speakers will be added as they are confirmed.

Endorsements
Ian Anson, UMBC Institute of Politics
Should news media endorse candidates for political office?  Do endorsements matter in the modern media landscape or do they actually detract from media's reputation?

Reaching people in non-traditional formats
Liz Dye, Law and Chaos, moderator; Dan Rodericks, columnist and Krishna Sharma, The Baltimore Banner
How can journalists reach new audiences through non-traditional formats such as Substack, Instagram reels and podcasts - and retain those casual touches? What does the proliferation of new content channels mean for the news media landscape?

Going beyond news media for innovative partnerships
Lisa Snowden, Baltimore Beat
How can news media partner with other types of organizations to bring deeper coverage to issues? The Baltimore Beat is actively working with local organizations such as the Baltimore Museum of Art and Wide Angle Youth Media and Lisa will share her insights.

Legislative Roundup from Maryland, Delaware and D.C. and the nation 
Rebecca Snyder, MDDC Press and Neil Quinter, News Media Alliance
State legislatures struggled with budgets, federal fallout and more.  At the federal level, Congress and federal agencies such as USPS grappled with the same issues.  How does it all affect news media?  Your questions welcome.

Buffet Lunch; Keynote Speaker
12:10pm —1:00 pm (Mainsail)

Take aways from Table Stakes Program
Emily Ristow, American Press Institute
Fresh insights from the Table Stakes Local News Transformation Program to help news organizations tackle critically important challenges and manage continuous change. 

Awards Program
1:00—2:30 pm The Best of Show winners of the 2024 contest will be honored with a recap of first and second place winners. Organization-wide honors will be awarded, including Best Moves, Designer of the Year, Website of General Excellence, Editorial Rookie or the Year and the James S. Keat FOIA award.

Our First and Second Place awards broadcasts will post the week of April 29th. Go to our MDDC YouTube channel to see all our winners.